For Release:          Immediate – April 4, 2017

Contact:                 Dave Dellecese, Public Affairs Specialist ­

(315) 792-7307 | ddellecese@sunypoly.edu

SUNY Poly Names Six Teams Advancing in Annual Statewide Business Competition

Students from SUNY Poly’s Utica campus among teams who will pitch business plan in Albany

Utica, NY – Bringing together college students from across New York State in an effort to promote student entrepreneurialism and support home-grown businesses, SUNY Polytechnic Institute announces six teams of students that have emerged as regional finalists following the conclusion of the Eighth Annual Mohawk Valley Collegiate Business Plan Competition’s Regional Qualifier held on April 1, 2017.

Among those finalists now advancing to the final round of the statewide New York Business Plan competition are three SUNY Poly-led teams that pitched plans related to information technology/software, social entrepreneurship/non-profit, and products. The regional semifinal event was hosted at SUNY Poly’s Utica campus, along with event sponsor Bank of Utica.

The regional qualifier competition drew interest from 11 student teams from four accredited New York colleges and universities, seven teams of which are from SUNY Poly, who gathered to pitch their game-changing business proposals for a chance to reach the final round and win part of the more than $500,000 in total prizes. Semifinal round competitions in nine other regions across New York either have been or are scheduled to take place prior to the final round, which is expected to draw hundreds to SUNY Poly’s Albany campus on Friday, April 28, 2017 when the best student teams from each region will go head-to-head and a grand prize winner will be announced.

As a result, teams with SUNY Poly students that will compete in the final round include Produce for Less, Jarheads, and ID Mobile Enterprises, which were named first place winners in the Social Entrepreneurship/Non-Profit, Products, and Information Technology/Software categories, respectively.

Produce for Less is a mobile food market that will bring fresh produce from the farm to food deserts in urban areas.

Jarheads produces alcoholic drinks using fresh ingredients and is sold in Mason jars.

ID Mobile Enterprises’ winning concept was a phone app that would contain your driver’s license and provide a secure way to carry your license when you don’t have a wallet or purse.

The New York Business Plan Competition, now in its eighth year, has continued to grow since its inception. Hundreds of student-led startups are pitching their ventures at regional competitions, which are being held at a number of colleges and universities throughout March and April. As part of the competition, each team is allowed a set amount of time to explain their innovation, with teams competing against others in a similar category. Panels of national venture capitalists, angel investors, investment bankers and seasoned entrepreneurs serve as judges, providing the student teams with feedback and a chance to understand how their pitch would be received in the “real world.”

Winners of the Mohawk Valley Regional Qualifier by category include:

Information Technology/Software

• ID Mobile Enterprises – SUNY Poly, Utica College
• SucSeed – Utica College

Social Entrepreneurship/Non-Profit

• Produce for Less – SUNY Poly

Services

• InFINITE Calamity – PrattMWP

Products

• Jarheads – SUNY Poly
• Dark Posture – SUNY Cobleskill

Keynote speakers for the event were Kate Cartini, Director of Marketing and Communications from Upstate Venture Connect and Christina Carambia, owner of Underground Greens, a former MVCC student and third place finisher at the 2016 New York State Business Plan Competition.

With event sponsor Bank of Utica powering this unique competition, in addition to support from student entrepreneur sponsor the Mohawk Valley Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the competition has grown to become the largest of its kind in New York State and one of the biggest in the nation. Through 2016, more than $2,000,000 in cash and in-kind services have been awarded to New York’s collegiate entrepreneurs.

For more information about the 2017 New York Business Plan competition, please visit: nybplan.com

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 SUNY Polytechnic Institute. SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem, formed from the merger of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and SUNY Institute of Technology. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany location and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome location. Thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world’s most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts billions of dollars in high-tech investments and over 300 corporate partners. For information visit www.sunycnse.com and www.sunypoly.edu.